Carved watermelon basket makes a splash as centerpiece

July 03, 2006|KATHLEEN BLACK Tribune Correspondent

Watermelon, Mark Twain said, "is chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat." While there are no verifiable statistics on Twain's claim, the watermelon is one of the traditional favorites on our Fourth of July menus, along with hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salad, potato salad, chips, baked beans and beer. This fruit actually is a vegetable Citrullus lanatus -- related to cucumbers and gourds. Southern food historian John Egerton believes the crop arrived in America via African slaves. Crisp, juicy and sweet, thick slices of watermelon are delicious eaten raw and icy cold. It's also versatile. Recipes can be found that showcase the luscious flesh of the fruit in everything from appetizers to soups, salads, desserts and drinks. But one of the most visually striking ways to serve watermelon is to carve it into a basket or other creative shape and then fill it with fresh fruit. You may be thinking that watermelon carvings are best left to professional caterers and chefs. Not so, says chef Tim Carrigan, chairman of the Culinary Arts Department at Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend. It took him a mere half-hour to transform a sizable watermelon from a green blob to a work-of-art centerpiece filled with the summer's freshest fruit. But the process really begins, Carrigan said, with picking the right melon at the market. Seedless is the best choice for carvings. "Be on the lookout to avoid large blemishes and odd shapes. It's important to select a melon that's as symmetrical as possible for carving," Carrigan says. "You also want a melon that's nice and firm. This time of year, the selection is good, so it's hard to go wrong." Once you get your melon home, be sure to wash it in clear water. Even though you won't be eating the outer layer, slicing a knife through an unwashed rind can deposit harmful bacteria onto the surface of the flesh. Then slice a small, thin piece of rind off the bottom so your melon will lay flat on your work surface. Next, trace your design onto the rind with a pencil. "Draw what you want to leave on the rind," Carrigan says. "Start at the base of the handle. You want the base a little thicker so the handle doesn't break off." If you are attempting a detailed design, the National Watermelon Promotion Board suggests drawing a template first on a sheet of white paper with a marker or pencil. Next, transfer the image to the watermelon surface by taping the paper to the melon and tracing along the design's lines with a pencil, making the design right on the watermelon surface. Watermelon-carving tools sold in sets, as well as design patterns, are available in kitchen specialty shops and store cookware departments. However, Carrigan says, for carving, use a paring knife. He begins carving along the long "baseline" of the design, or the top edge of the basket. "Just punch the blade in and out all along the carving line. Carve the base, and then carve out the designs you've drawn. Once you remove the larger pieces, you're also taking all of the support away and the melon will be softer. So you want to carve the details before removing the sides." After adding some detail by removing only the top layer of green rind and leaving the white underneath, Carrigan cuts down and through the handle outline. "Don't try to dig out a whole piece, " he cautions. "That's important to remember, especially when cutting near the smaller edges. Cut smaller chunks. Take your time. If you try to rush through, you risk breaking it all up." The next step is to remove all of the fruit that is beneath the handle. Then move down to scoop the fruit from the bottom of the basket. You can either scoop it out with a large spoon, or if you want melon balls, use a scooper designed for that. Be sure to leave about an inch of melon in the bottom of the rind. This will prevent any leakage from the bottom once you refill the basket with fruit. If you'd like to add extra pieces of rind cut into shapes, you can do so by first piercing tiny holes in the basket. Then insert a toothpick into your embellishments and insert them into the holes. The final step is adding an assortment of fresh fruits to your design. Mix your fruits in a separate large bowl. Carrigan encourages using a variety of seasonal fruits. "The nice thing about this time of year is that you can get all sorts of berries -- raspberries, strawberries, blackberries -- to add. And you can also add some fresh flowers for garnish." Watermelon carvings can be done up to a day ahead. Simply wrap your creation in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. And if you have any doubts about your artistic ability, don't give it a second thought. Carrigan assures us, "Even if it turns out ugly, people don't care. They'll say, 'That's really cool!' " If you have leftover melon you still can make some crowd-pleasing dishes. Watermelon Soup 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup lime juice 2 cups finely diced cucumber 7 cups seedless watermelon Bring the sugar, water and lime juice to a boil; let cool. Run watermelon through a food blender. Add to water mixture. Add in cucumber and mix well. Let chill for an hour and serve with thinly sliced cucumber and melon balls. Fire and Ice Salsa 3 cups chopped watermelon, seeds removed 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, chopped 1/2 cup green peppers, diced 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon chopped green onions Mix all together. Chill and let rest for an hour before serving. Recipes courtesy of chef Tim Carrigan, chairman of the Culinary Arts Department at Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend. *** The following recipes are from chef Harry Schwartz, the creator and host of the Public Television Program, "Chef Harry & Friends," and can be found on the National Watermelon Promotion Board's Web site at www.watermelon.org. Watermelon Breakfast A Go-Go Low-fat granola Small chunks of seedless watermelon Low-fat banana yogurt Slices of banana Toasted almonds or coconut To assemble a parfait: In a large, cylindrical glass or "to-go cup" container, layer the following ingredients: granola, watermelon, yogurt. Repeat layers. Garnish with a banana slice, toasted almonds or coconut and more watermelon chunks. Prosciutto-Wrapped Watermelon and Brie Fingers 24 pinky finger-size watermelon rectangles 24 thin slices brie cheese (about the same dimensions as the watermelon fingers) 24 slices prosciutto ham Place a piece of brie on top of each watermelon finger and wrap each with a slice of ham. Secure with a toothpick. Makes 24 appetizers. Watermelon Coconut "Cake" With Raspberry Filling 1 watermelon 3 cups fresh raspberries 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut Cut an 8- to 10-inch-wide slice of watermelon from the center of the melon. Lay it down on a flat work surface and cut around the rind. Slide the rind off, leaving a cylinder of watermelon. Slice widthwise into 3 slices as you would a cake. Place 1 slice of the melon cylinder on top of a serving platter. Surround it with a ring of coconut. Place one-third of the remaining coconut and raspberries over the slice and repeat to form a 3-layer watermelon "cake" with the raspberries on top arranged attractively on the coconut. To serve, slice into wedges and present them upright. Makes 8 servings.